De Dee's Dairy continues tradition of 'fast, friendly service, generous portions at a fair price, and a lot of flavors'

By Patrick J Bradley
Senior Contributing Reporter

Long before supermarkets were invented, there were more than 30 dairies in Niagara Falls. They all delivered milk and other dairy products to stores, restaurants and homes.

One of the first dairies was F. Buzzelli & Sons, which was founded in 1912 at 521 19th St. Now a residential neighborhood, it was farmland at the time and had good grazing land for the Buzzelli’s cows.

The business was founded by an Italian immigrant named Francesco “Frank” Buzzelli. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earning a Cornell University degree, Buzzelli’s grandson, also named Frank, joined the family business and opened the Creamland dairy at the corner of Cayuga Drive and what is now Niagara Falls Boulevard. There he sold homemade ice cream, soft custard and a popular frozen treat called lemon ice. Buzzelli’s lemon ice recipe remains a secret to this day, but you can still enjoy it in the place Creamland once stood.

The old Creamland is now called De Dee’s Dairy. Founded by Louise LaMarca in the early 1980s, De Dee’s daily attracts warm-weather crowds who stand patiently in line to order bountiful servings of their favorite frozen confections.

“Louise built this on fast, friendly service, generous portions at a fair price, and a lot of flavors,” said manager and co-owner Gary Wilcox, who, with nephew Bob Urso, purchased the business from her almost two decades ago.

“We knew Louise was starting to think about selling it,” Wilcox said. “Bob approached her first. She said, ‘I’m going to run it for one more year. Then we’ll talk about it.’ ”

LaMarca was as good as her word. They talked, she sold it to them and, when they took over in 2006, the popular ice cream stand didn’t miss a beat, Wilcox said.

“We were lucky,” he said. “It took right off at the beginning. Why? Because we didn’t change a thing.”

De Dee’s was the first of what is now a trio of successful family-owned businesses operated by Urso, Gary and son Ryan Wilcox, Bill Payne and his brother Jonathan Payne. Their other two businesses, Mom’s Restaurant and David’s Home of the Steak Hoagy, had been mainstays of the LaSalle food scene for decades.

“It started with De Dee’s in 2006,” Urso recalled. “In 2013, Mom’s Restaurant was closing. We took that over in 2014. We took over David’s in 2016 and had it until 2022.”

Mom’s subsequently moved to Payne Plaza on Military Road in the Town of Niagara. David’s was reborn in 2022 as David’s 716 Bar & Grill and is open at the same location.

Managing De Dee’s has led to some welcome changes in Gary Wilcox’s life. After 39 years as an optician, he sold his Lewiston-based business and retired from the profession.

“It just wasn’t the same as when I started. It’s all about the insurance now,” he said.

De Dee’s gives him what he calls a “positive purpose.” He oversees an energetic group of 35 high school and college-aged employees who share his dedication to customer satisfaction, and he’s delighted that many former employees have earned college degrees. Some have gone on to enjoy successful careers as teachers, nurses and lawyers. One of De Dee’s former counter girls is currently in medical school, Wilcox said.

Wilcox is quick to note that his wife, Debi, also plays an important role in the ice cream parlor’s success.

“Without her I would be in trouble,” he said. “Make sure you put that in there.”

SUNY Niagara nursing student and De Dee’s manager Alexia Graham, left, co-owner Gary Wilcox and Niagara Falls High School student Alexandra Ventry line up in front of a wall display showcasing De Dee’s Dairy’s expansive menu of frozen treats for the 2024 season.

••••••••

Meanwhile, De Dee’s keeps getting bigger. This season’s offerings include 66 flavors of Perry’s ice cream and four varieties of homemade soft custard. Although vanilla and chocolate are perennial favorites, other custard flavors such as orange chocolate and black raspberry are offered during the season.

Sundaes are always popular and, this year, De Dee’s is introducing a sundae of the week. The first two sundaes celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.

“This week it’s an eclipse sundae,” Wilcox said.

Also new to the menu this year are Dole Soft Serve frozen fruit confections. Dairy-, gluten- and lactose-free, they’re safe for people with such dietary restrictions.

Of course, that doesn’t mean De Dee’s youthful employees can’t create the treats that have delighted ice cream lovers for generations.

“They can make banana splits look like artwork,” Wilcox said.

De Dee’s Dairy is located at 8715 Niagara Falls Blvd., at Cayuga Drive, Niagara Falls. Hours are Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 3-9 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, noon to 9:30 p.m. For more, call 716-297-8856, visit davids716barandgrill.com/de-dees-dairy, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.